There’s something different in Magic in the Dark this month—I’m starting with movies from the vault rather than new releases because I’m excited about the masterpieces that the ByTowne and the Mayfair have programmed.
The first is Wings of Desire, directed by Wim Wenders’ masterpiece. I recommended this ravishingly beautiful film in my last article. It’s a wonderful tale about an angel who decides to become a human to experience what humans do—including love. A sheer delight! At the ByTowne for one more showing.
Over at the Mayfair, there’s a pair of comedy classics from Buster Keaton, whom Roger Ebert called “the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies.” They are Sherlock Jr. and One Week, and they’ll have live musical accompaniment. In the first film, Buster plays a detective (Sherlock Jr.); in the second film, he and his new bride assemble their first home from a kit. The physical comedy is peerless! And remember, all death-defying stunts are real and were performed by the actors. As The Guardian wrote in a 2018 obituary, Keaton is “a genius… he made silent pictures an art.”
Kiki’s Delivery Service is from my favourite animation studio, Studio Ghibli, and one of its founders, Hayao Miyazaki, whose film The Boy and the Heron just won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. 13-year-old Kiki, a novice witch, leaves her family to settle for a year in a seaside town where she starts a delivery service (her delivery vehicle is her magic flying broomstick). This gorgeous film is one of the most popular Studio Ghibli films in North America. At the ByTowne, in its English dubbed version (the voice actor playing Kiki is Kirsten Dunst).
The Bytowne is showing more Hayao Miyazaki films in May and June, one of which – Ponyo – is rarely shown in North America. Perfect for audiences of all ages, it’s about the friendship between five-year-old Sosuke and a magical goldfish named Ponyo.
The other film is Miyazaki’s famous environmental film, Princess Mononoke. It’s a clash between technology and nature, positing that there is a harmonious way forward.
Before Denis Villeneuve made Dune and Dune 2, he made a terrific sequel to a sci-fi classic: Blade Runner 2049. Bonuses: it stars Ryan Gosling, the Oscars’ “It Man”, and the original bad runner, Harrison Ford. At the ByTowne.
For fans of French films or film noir, the Alain Delon classic Le Samouraï, by director Jean-Pierre Melville, is at the Mayfair as part of their Alain Delon festival. The suave Delon plays a professional hitman with “samurai instincts,” where his snappy fedora and trench coat are his “samurai” armour. After carrying out what seems to be a flawless hit, he’s caught between his ruthless client and a dogged police investigator. A Metacritic must-see.
Now, let’s look at the new releases.
Both cinemas are still showing One Life which I wrote about a while back. At the ByTowne’s on May 7, there’ll be a post-screening Q&A with the descendant of one of the children rescued from the Nazis by Nicholas Winton.
As I wrote last month, Wicked Little Letters is a dramedy based on a 1920s true story, and featuring the talented Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley. Its sly humour is charming. At both cinemas.
I recently recommended Humane. You still have a chance to see Caitlin Cronenberg’s dark comedy/sci-fi/horror/family drama. (Yes, the critics have used all those words to describe Humane.) See how you would categorize it. At the ByTowne.
For sheer delight, especially for animation lovers, check out Linda veut du poulet! (Chicken for Linda!) which is still playing at the ByTowne. As you saw in my last article, it’s a favourite of film critics. And the trailer always makes me smile.
The German Language Film Festival Ottawa is running at the ByTowne, and I’d particularly like to see Bonjour Switzerland. This comedy imagines what would happen when the Swiss government decreed that their country, with its four official languages (German, French, Italian, and Romansh), would immediately switch to unilingual French. Chaos ensues. We follow a middle-aged German-speaking federal policeman who must learn French and enforce the new unilingualism. And then the Ticino canton, which abuts Italy, revolts.
Last, but certainly not least, there’s a new film at the ByTowne from a master of the documentary film, Fred Wiseman. This one should thrill foodies as it takes us behind the scenes into one of the best restaurants in the world. The film is Menus-Plaisirs—Les Troisgros and the restaurant is the eponymous Troisgros restaurant founded 93 years ago and is still operated by the Troisgros family. It’s had three Michelin stars for 55 years. In 2020, it was awarded a Michelin Green Star for exemplary sustainable practices. I recommend you have a good dinner before attending this film.
See you at the movies!
Dates, times and tickets for the ByTowne are at www.bytowne.ca. The ByTowne publishes its calendar at least three weeks in advance. Dates, times, and tickets for the Mayfair are at www.mayfairtheatre.ca. The Mayfair usually publishes the coming week’s schedule midweek and adds to their “coming soon” list, so check their website and emails for the latest updates.
